#93: The Rise of Human Skills and Agile Acumen with Evan Leybourn

04/10/24 • 32 min

Explore the skills revolution with Brian and Evan Leybourn of the Business Agility Institute as they dive into a landmark study on the skills shaping today's workforce. Learn why adaptability, human skills, and agile acumen are the keys to success.

Overview

In an enlightening episode, Brian sits down with Evan Leybourn, co-founder of the Business Agility Institute, to delve into recent research findings on the essential skills for the modern workforce.

They discuss the paramount importance of human skills over technical abilities in hiring, the emergence of 'pi-shaped' professionals who excel in multiple domains, and the critical role of agile acumen across various job roles. Additionally, they address the pressing need for educational systems to pivot from traditional role-based learning to a more versatile skill-based approach.

This episode is a treasure trove for anyone looking to navigate the workforce's future, offering deep insights into adapting and thriving in an ever-evolving professional landscape.

Listen Now to Discover:

[1:17] - Join Brian in a captivating session with Evan Leybourn, the innovative author and co-founder of the Business Agility Institute, as they explore groundbreaking insights into agility and workforce evolution.
[2:32] - Discover the unexpected findings from Evan's recent study, ‘Skills in the New World of Work,’ on the workforce's most sought-after skills and their pivotal role in modern hiring practices.
[4:50] - Brian sheds light on the rising value of soft, or human, skills in the workforce, suggesting a pivotal expansion of Scrum Master skills to embrace these vital attributes.
[8:00] - Evan reveals their unexpected discovery: organizations are increasingly seeking 'pi-shaped' skills that blend diverse areas of expertise.
[12:45] - Perfect your human skills and refresh your Agile approach with Mountain Goat Software’s Advanced Certified ScrumMaster® and Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner® courses. For further details, visit the Mountain Goat Software training schedule.
[15:05] - Unpacking the idea of 'pi-shaped' professionals, Evan details how these unique individuals bring multiple skill sets to one role, elevating their effectiveness and output, using a full-stack developer as an example.
[16:22] - Evan tackles the provocative statement that Agile is dead, offering insights and counterarguments to this bold claim.
[21:47] - Evan highlights a key finding: Agile Acumen emerges as the runner-up in the most coveted skills during the hiring process across organizations.
[24:50] - Evan stresses an important takeaway: 'The skills you have are valuable,' pointing out that the essence of Agile expertise transcends the exact wording of job descriptions.
[27:05] - Highlighting a necessary evolution in learning, Evan advocates for a move towards skill-based training and education, away from traditional role-focused models, to better prepare for the workforce of tomorrow.
[29:21] - Brian shares his gratitude for Evan and his work to help better understand the job market.
[30:02] - Brian invites listeners to join both him and Evan live and in person at the Global Scrum Gathering 2024 in New Orleans.
[30:33] - We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email.
[31:03] - If you’d like to continue this discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community. You get a year of free membership into that site by taking any class with Mountain Goat Software, such as CSM or CSPO. We'd love to see you in one of Mountain Goat Software's classes, you can find the schedule here.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Overview

In an enlightening episode, Brian sits down with Evan Leybourn, co-founder of the Business Agility Institute, to delve into recent research findings on the essential skills for the modern workforce.

This episode is a treasure trove for anyone looking to navigate the workforce's future, offering deep insights into adapting and thriving in an ever-evolving professional landscape.

Listen Now to Discover:

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Previous Episode

#92: Navigating Scrum Anti-Patterns with Stefan Wolpers

Join Brian and Stefan Wolpers as they explore the labyrinth of Scrum anti-patterns, shedding light on the crucial shifts needed in communication, event understanding, and organizational empowerment for Agile success.

Overview

Brian welcomes special guest Stefan Wolpers as they explore the maze of Scrum anti-patterns.

Discover the art of tackling communication breakdowns, unravel the misunderstandings that plague Scrum events, confront the systemic issues of organizational anti-patterns, and challenge the rigidity of dogmatism in Agile practices.

Whether you're a seasoned Scrum practitioner or new to the Agile philosophy, this conversation between Brian and Stefan will arm you with the insights needed to navigate the complexities of Scrum, enhance team collaboration, and drive successful Agile transformations. Tune in to transform your understanding and practice of Scrum, and take a step towards mastering the dynamic world of Agile.

Listen Now to Discover:

[1:06] - Join Brian as he sits down with Stefan Wolpers, a seasoned Professional Scrum Trainer and the mastermind behind ‘The Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide,’ for a deep dive into the pitfalls to avoid for Scrum success.
[2:33] - Discover the power of inversion with Stefan, as he elucidates this groundbreaking learning principle, challenging traditional methods and revolutionizing our approach to personal and professional development.
[5:21] - Stefan delves into the critical issue of communication breakdown and assumptions among teams, revealing effective strategies to address and navigate these common pain points.
[10:01] - Listen as Stefan highlights the transformative impact of trust building and team bonding, revealing their significance as key elements in bridging cultural differences and bringing remote teams closer together.
[12:02] - Brought to you by Mountain Goat Software, the Agile Mentors Podcast invites you to enhance your Scrum skills through the Certified Scrum Product Owner® course. Explore a world of Agile learning opportunities by checking out Mountain Goat Software's extensive training schedule.
[13:03] - Join Stefan as he delves into the Scrum framework, highlighting the Daily Scrum and Sprint Planning as events ripe with anti-patterns, and providing guidance on overcoming these obstacles for smoother sprints.
[18:10] - Listen as Stefan illuminates the critical anti-pattern of lacking empowerment within organizations, emphasizing its widespread impact and proposing pathways to cultivate a more empowered workforce.
[22:08] - Explore with Brian the significance of an anti-dogmatic stance, highlighting its role as a pivotal anti-pattern in fostering innovation and adaptability in Agile environments.
[26:14] - Brian shares a big thank you to Stefan for joining him on the show.
[29:01] - If you’d like to continue this discussion, join the Agile Mentors Community.
[30:01] - We invite you to subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast. Do you have feedback, a question, or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email.

References and resources mentioned in the show:

Stefan Wolpers
The Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide by Stefan Wolpers
Certified Scrum Product Owner®
Training Mountain Goat Software Certified Scrum and Agile Training Schedule
Mike Cohn’s Letting Go of Knowing
Join the Agile Mentors Community

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Next Episode

#94: Connecting Teams and Leadership with Anthony Coppedge

Join Brian and Anthony Coppedge as they unlock the secrets to bridging the team-leadership divide. Learn how to navigate through fear, short-term thinking, and the transformative power of Agile within top-tier organizations like IBM.

Overview

In this episode of the Agile Mentors Podcast, Brian sits down for a groundbreaking conversation with Anthony Coppedge, of IBM and creator of the Retrospective Radar.

They delve deep into the disconnects plaguing organizations between their teams and leadership. From overcoming fear and fostering long-term value to harnessing the strength of middle management and the critical role of data-driven decision-making, this episode offers a treasure trove of insights for those looking to drive agility and foster a culture of transparency and success in their organizations.

Join us to explore how translating team realities into leadership vision can catalyze meaningful change and position companies for enduring success.

Listen Now to Discover:

[1:18] - Brian welcomes Anthony Coppedge, IBM's business agility expert.
[2:40] - Unveiling the core issue, Anthony explores how fear fuels the disconnect between teams and their leaders, offering insights into bridging this crucial gap.
[4:04] - Anthony highlights the power for the team in delivering real value for the benefit of others.
[5:14] - Hear Anthony unpack the significance of scalability in systems and processes, highlighting its role in enabling organizations to adapt and thrive, and what the conversations with the teams can look like to achieve scalability.
[6:00] - Anthony lays out vivid examples of the existing gap between teams and leadership, offering insightful strategies needed to effectively bridge this divide.
[7:50] - Highlighting the pivotal role of middle management, Anthony suggests leveraging these key players as connectors between teams and top leadership.
[8:50] - Anthony shows how to effectively convey the ground-level realities of teams to leadership, ensuring their efforts are directly linked to the organization's overarching direction.
[10:30] - Brian emphasizes the critical need to grasp what drives leaders, advocating for the translation of team insights into a language that resonates with leadership priorities.
[13:59] - Anthony explores how adopting a client-centric approach fosters transparency in communication, ensuring clarity and alignment across all levels.
[16:31] - Bridge the gap between your leadership and teams by helping the leaders to expand their Agile language and experience with Mountain Goat Software’s Agile For Leaders Course.
[18:34] - Anthony proposes actionable strategies and the importance of teams spearheading cultural shifts within their organizations, steering them towards embracing Agile principles.
[21:43] - Highlighting the strategic use of data, Anthony discusses how it can illuminate results and motivate shifts towards better practices.
[29:14] - Brian unveils Anthony's innovative approach to reflection and growth with 'The Retrospective Radar.'
[36:11] - Brian shares a big thank you to Anthony for joining him on the show and invites listeners to connect with him on LinkedIn.
[37:27] - We invite you to share the podcast with friends and subscribe to the Agile Mentors Podcast. Do you have feedback or a great idea for an episode of the show? Great! Just send us an email.
[38:06] - If you’d like to continue this discussion on the episode specific discussion forums on the Agile Mentors Community. You get a year of free membership into that site by taking any class with Mountain Goat Software.
[38:48] - Brian invites listeners to join him live and in person at the 2024 Global Scrum Gathering in New Orleans and the Agile2024 conference in Dallas.